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Tuesday, May 4, 2010

I recently discovered that the wonderful Abadazad web site that Hyperion Books for Children put up, back in 2006, is still in existence. It's strange—and, yes, sad—to watch the animated opening unfold, to see Kate's quest come alive on my computer screen; yet, at the same time, it fills me with a sense of limitless possibility. If Kate, Matt, Wix, Professor Headstrong, Queen Ija and the rest are still out there, somewhere in cyberspace, then there's hope that I can reach them, rescue them from limbo, and bring their story back into the world. And wouldn't that be wonderful?

26 comments:

Oh, please! My husband and I love Abadazad and would love to see more of it. I introduced it to a group of Oz fans at the West Coast's annual Oz convention (Winkie Con) and they all liked it too. We all want more, and hope to someday see it in some form.

JM, I just discovered that my younger niece (all of 13) is reading the first Abadazad book, which she borrowed from a friend -- and she's thoroughly enjoying it! I told her there's more, but that the story's not completely published -- YET. And of course so many of us are hoping to see that YET fulfilled!

I think they're all pretty much spoken for, David. I had a go at Daredevil -- back in the 90's, when Chris Columbus was producing an early incarnation of the film at Fox, with my dear friend Carlo Carlei attached as director -- and that was quite a bit of fun.

If I had to pick one Marvel character, it would probably be Doctor Strange. So much potential there: LOST HORIZON meets Carlos Castaneda meets...well, Steve Ditko and Stan Lee.

But, really, I'm more interested in seeing some of my own properties make the transition from page to screen: MOONSHADOW, ABADAZAD, STARDUST KID, SAVIOR 28 (to name a few). As I think I've mentioned here, director Marc Rosenbush is developing a film based on my old Vertigo series (co-created with the brilliant Kent Williams), BLOOD: A TALE...and Cartoon Network is developing a live-action HERO SQUARED TV movie. Keith Giffen and I are on board as co-producers and we've written several drafts of the script, which is now being re-written (this IS Hollywood after all).

We'll see if either of these make it out of development and onto the screen, big or small.

I didn't know you'd been linked to Daredevil before. Did anything from your treatment make it to Favreau's film?

Congrats on "Blood" and "Hero Squared." It's exciting that the tech and the production quality is there now to really bring these to life, so here's hoping for that and more. I don't know that Hollywood could have done justice to "Moonshadow" or "Blood" in '87, but now...definitely!!

I'm also hoping for a Marvel animated "Kraven's Last Hunt." I don't know if you've seen any of the recent Marvel animated line, but they've done some good work (particuarly the Hulk vs. Thor film).

Hi JM, I´m so glad to find out that you have a blog (well, who doesn´t nowadays).I´m sorry to get out of subject -I don´t even know what you´re talking about here-, but I must go forward. Years ago, here in Buenos Aires, I found books 3&4 of Brooklyn Dreams for few pesos each, abandoned in a now closed old bookstore. I bought it inmediately as a rarity, maybe an illustrated novel, surrounded by basic English learning short texts and other cheap books. I like to go to those places. The cover said "Glenn Barr". I knew that guy from few comics. And since it had the plastic protection and had the "serious book" format, amazing was to find it was a comic book -I make comics myself-, but even more was the fact that I didn´t find the book, the fucker found me. I know it´s a typical cliché from the obvious reader that believes the world spins around him... but... the fucker found me. Made me very happy, I suffered and breathed with Vincent every step of that senior year. I loved the symbiotic relatinship you developed with Barr, it´s like he received a brain transplant (yours) and threw up instantly through his hand. Beautiful vomit, I must say. So outstandingly fluent, and living vomit.After reading those two volumes dozens of times, came the possibility to live for a long while in Prague as a (ahem) student. So it was time to say goodbye to most of my things (I thought I might not come back) and I left Brooklyn Dreams to a beloved friend, as leaving it in the sand to be eventually found in the same way as the bookstore. So I lived and grew in Prague for 15 months. I learned, suffered, breathed. I came back to Argentina. A former drawing teacher decided to do the same, and threw everything away, like I did. And I found Brooklyn Dreams, in its hole shape, with the first and second books waiting to be read. So now I got to know the beginning. As everything in life, I turned to learn everything backwards.

Thank you.

Santiago Slaby(if you have the time, check my blog, there´s a lot of "arty/crappy comics" and several things.)

Hi, Santiago -- thanks for checking in and for sharing your story. It amazes, delights and gratifies me that BROOKLYN DREAMS has managed to touch hearts and minds across cultures, because it's so specific to the world I grew up in.

I think that's the first time I've ever seen "vomit" used as a compliment. If we do another printing of BD, maybe that should be on the cover: "Beautiful vomit!"

Spider-Girl is certainly a character that would work as an animated series. In a way, it would be the Marvel equivalent of BATMAN BEYOND: a look into a possible future, featuring the classic hero AND an updated version of the same character. Marvel...are you listening?

I hope they are! Tom really brought something special to the table with Mayday. Traditionally, superhero futures are bleak to say the least. And while that fits in with Batman's history, I think he was wise to point to a brighter world with Mayday. Not a perfect one, to be sure, but progress.

Now that Terry has officially been brought into the DCU, I also think it'd also be great to see a Spider-Girl/Batman Beyond crossover in the vein of your 1990s oneshots. I think a Peter Parker who's uncomfortable with May following in his footsteps would bounce off the elder Bruce nicely. Make for some great fireworks.